Category Archives: Duke Basketball

Duke is off to a 3-0 start in the ACC thanks to it’s defense

January 15, 2009 Mark Watson

Duke managed to put away Georgia Tech last evening 70-56 to go to 3-0 in the young ACC season despite struggling from the field offensively. With a loaded schedule that includes Clemson, North

Duke got off to a 3-0 start in the ACC for the 14th time in the Krzyzewski era

Carolina and Wake Forest twice, each win is important and you can bet that Coach K has his team trying to avoid a letdown.

While Krzyzewski will not allow his team to look too far ahead, with a big national showdown against Georgetown looming this Saturday, perhaps it couldn't help but be in the back of the players minds. That thought likely went away after tip off against Tech in that Duke found themselves down eight early in a night where it seemed they couldn't throw the ball in the ocean in the first fifteen minutes of play.

On a night where the Blue Devils got little production from the center or anchor position, Duke depended on it's big three stars in Kyle Singler, Jon Scheyer and Gerald Henderson. Coach K let it be known to voice of the Blue Devils Bob Harris in the post game radio show that he was not too happy with the fact that Zoubek and Thomas managed 4 points, 6 rebounds and 8 fouls.

It's vital that Thomas and Zoubek reassert themselves with a Georgetown team coming in that handled #8 Syracuse easily at home on Wednesday. That team features former Duke prospect Greg Monroe, a freshman sensation that can pass or dish assists with the best of them, not to mention control the paint.

Kyle Singler found himself having to play much of last evenings game down low and he certainly produced against the Jackets, going for 19 points and 14 rebounds. The thing is that he was forced to play almost the entire game and should that continue there is a possibility he'll wear down as the season progresses.

Jon Scheyer has had two miserable shooting games from the field, but he always finds ways to help with his court savvy. He struggled with his shot early but always plays a great floor game on a consistent basis. Last evening was no different, where he tallied 14 points and led his team in assists with 5 and grabbed 5 boards for good measure.

While Greg Paulus gave Duke a much needed lift in scoring eight points off the bench, he failed to hand out one assist. That is not necessarily his role this season, but with Nolan Smith having an off night offensively and dishing just one assist, distribution has to be an area of concern at the moment for the Devils.

Quite simply, Duke needs two positions to be more productive on a consistent basis to continue to flourish as they have early, earning the #2 ranking in college hoops.

Despite the aforementioned concerns, Duke finds ways to win and more often than not it is with their defense. Krzyzewski has his team playing at a very high level defensively and so far this season, they have held three conference opponents to around 53 ppg.

Another vital part of the team pushing their record to 15-1 is the play of Gerald Henderson. "G" has adjusted as the season has gone along and has been very consistent of late. Henderson can do things other players can't with his athleticism and versatility. A well rounded performance against the Jackets was what the doctor ordered. His final stat line was 19 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists.

One has to be impressed with the results so far this season. On a night when Duke struggled with their shooting from the field and the free throw stripe they managed a win. If this teams offense becomes more consistent, they'll be a load for whomever they face the rest of the way.

Coach K post game comments, courtesy of Duke Sports Information -

Opening Comment:

"We won a hard-fought game tonight. We knew coming in that Georgia Tech, for the first time this season, was close to being 100 percent. They didn't start the year with Clinch, then Miller was sick, and then Peacock was sick the last game, but they had everyone tonight. Obviously those guys will still get in better shape. As a result they can hit you with different lineups now. They can start that big lineup and they can bring Miller in, and you have Shumpert, Clinch and Miller with Peacock and Lawal - they are a good team, tough to score against. I thought our defense helped win the game for us. We played very well, defensively, in the second half. I thought we played the last 10 minutes of the first half well defensively but they kind of knocked us back and we didn't do what we wanted to do on the top ball screen. And they executed well. They are a very big team. Kyle [Singler] came up with some huge plays for us, especially on the defensive boards. And then G had a really good second half offensively. Both teams had trouble scoring because we are both pretty good defensive teams. We got a big boost in the first half from Paulus and Marty [Pocius]. Greg and Marty gave us a big boost, and then Dave [McClure] was terrific in the second half, defensively. He had two big blocks and was a heck of a defensive player. And we needed that. It was hard fought, and a good win for us. Hooray for me, I'm happy. When you win a game like this, it's not an easy game. They are good."

Comment on rebounding:

"Yeah, we had a couple more. But that fact that we weren't hit hard, a lot of it had to do with Kyle. Kyle had 14 rebounds. All of a sudden on some of those misses, you saw Kyle with two hands coming up and that gives you a possession. Neither team scored quickly, so when you got a possession it meant a little bit more in this game. Dave came up - his blocks were the main thing. And then trying to stay in front of Lawal was huge. Our post defense was a lot better in the second half."

Comment on Gerald Henderson coming up big in the second half:

"He's a good player, first of all. Their defense was taking away the drive. They were really playing like zoning up, and we ended up just kind of pounding the ball in the floor. I told him to either shoot it or pass it - don't just keep dribbling it. He wants to beat you, he's a good player. In the second half our offense had a little bit more movement and we put him in a couple different places so he could do it. He lost it a couple of times, but we went to both him and Kyle. We tried to run a bunch of things through those two kids."

Comment on big men going over top of the screens:

"I thought Kyle, in particular, defended that well. We're a very good defensive team. In the first half, we did not do that well. We started switching, and then our little guy went down, instead of the big guy staying and the little guy staying up on top, which is what we practiced. I felt like the father that tells their kid, and they say that they never heard you. Well I said it, I said it a bunch - I even called a timeout. In fact, you're even IN timeout right now. But that's what happens, and to our kids' credit, they got it straight after a while."

Comment on the league:

"I think our league is the best it's been for a long time. We've got four teams in the top-10. We just played Tech and Florida State, and they can play anybody that we've played. Our league is the best league. The fact that we have 12 teams shouldn't be discriminated against. Believe me, we don't want more - I don't want more. But we have a hell of a league. It's an older league and a bigger league. We have some big teams in our league - Tech and Florida State are two of the biggest teams in the country when you put those lineups out. We've been No. 1 in the RPI, We have had the best non-conference. I've always been a cheerleader for the ACC, but this year, even more because we have a lot of good teams. And always in the league, there are always two things that bring around the differential: an injury and close losses."

Comment on strategy on defending Lawal:

"We wanted to pressure the passer. I think we were the first team this year that pressured the high post instead of dropping off. We tried to stay where we were between him and the ball. Ball pressure is key - we wanted to pressure the passer (because) the passer can see more. But he's good. He's gotten really strong, and you can tell that kid's really worked. I don't think anybody that I've seen yet, and I know I haven't seen everybody, but I don't think anyone runs the floor quicker than Lawal. He goes from the defensive end to the offensive end real fast. He's a big time player and competitor.

BDN Premium Articles, Duke Basketball, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

Class of 2011 Prospect Tony Kimbro

January 14, 2009 Mark Watson

Blue Devil Nation Premium introduces you to 2011 prospect Tony Kimbro. We have put together the most informative profile available on the web to date. We include an in depth scouting report -

One of the schools that the Duke Men's Basketball staff is quite familiar with is Christ School out of Arden, North Carolina. The main reason for the attention is 6-11 Mason Plumlee who will be on campus as a freshman next season.

There has been talk that Duke might have the inside track on his brother, Marshall Plumlee, but there is another youngster that has made it no secret that he likes the Blue Devils.

Tony Kimbro Jr. is a 6-4, 185 pound budding sophomore prospect. If the name Tony Kimbro sounds familiar, it is and not for the best of reasons for Duke fans. His Father played for the Louisville

Class of 2011, Tony Kimbro, 6-4, 185, Christ School Arden (copyright BDNP)

Cardinal team which defeated the oh-so popular 1985-86 team in the national championship game in one of the most heart breaking losses for a team that won the most regular season games in college basketball history. His Dad was also named to the 1985 McDonald's All American team.

Kimbro started his career at Manuel in Louisville, Kentucky which is his hometown. He then transferred to Mount Zion in Durham, North Carolina. That stint didn't last long according to Kimbro who left after a brief stay to go to Christ School in Arden, North Carolina.

"Well, I went to Mount Zion and I didn't like it there so much because it was basically all basketball and not so much emphasis on academics. So, I told my Mom and we looked on the Internet and found Christ School, so I decided to go there and see if I liked it. When I got there, the facilities and teachers were good and you can go to them about homework 24/7 or anytime you need help." [private]

His teammate and Duke commitment Mason Plumlee had been awarded his own room as a gesture by Coach Gaines for paying his dues and or being a senior, but Plumlee offered to share his room with the newcomer and they are now roommates.

"Mason pushes me. He's kind of like my older brother, he helps me out. He is dedicated. He'll wake up at like six o'clock in the morning and go shoot shots. That pushes me to do what he does. He's showing me the ropes," said Kimbro.

"I like Tony," said a smiling Mason Plumlee. He continued, "I'm glad he came to Christ School. He was the perfect fit for our school. He is what we were missing personality wise and on the court. He's just a really good kid and he's just going to get better."

Kimbro plays shooting guard in the Greenies system and feels that may or may not be his position at the next level where he feels he could float to the three.

"My strength is getting to the basket, giving my team motivation, getting them pumped up for the game. My weakness is my right hand," said Kimbro.

When Plumlee was asked of Kimbro and the strength of his game, he stated, "His left hand is his strength obviously.

When asked what he would do to improve his weakness Kimbro said, "Coach Gaines makes me work on it in practice. He really doesn't let me go left. He makes me go right and dribble with my right hand.

"Coach K was at one of our games and said we're going to work all spring with your right hand. I think his strength is he is a good defender and he's a smart and unselfish player," said Plumlee

During the recent Glaxo Tournament in Raleigh, Kimbro admitted he was nervous in that he was playing before a crowd of that size for the first time. The budding prospect calmed down and had eight key points against Rocky Mount and UNC bound Reggie Bullock and helped his team go undefeated.

In fact, Kimbro has scored eight points or better in 13 of 19 games for Christ School and considering the fact he is class of 2011 and on a team loaded with future college players that's impressive.

When it comes time to make a college choice, Kimbro is quick to state that his Mother will have the most influence on his decision and that it is tough being away from her. Kimbro, who has two brothers said that his Father came to some of his games. He mentioned that his Father was critical and only stated what was wrong and not what was right with his game obviously being a bit dismayed. He also said that his Mom and brothers would be okay with his choice regardless of location.

There was no hesitance on his part when asked of his dream school. "Duke!," he replied in an emphatic manner as if there was little question. When asked of other schools he liked, he mentioned Kansas.

I asked what he felt he needed to do to get prepared or noticed by the nations major programs and Kimbro replied, "I need to work on my grades and keep working on my game. I need to dedicate more time to my game instead of going to parties and stuff like that. When other people are chilling around I need to work on my game."

I made it a point to ask a BDN staple question "What three words best describes you as a person." and Kimbro stated, "Loyal, hyper and dedicated." I then asked what three words or pharases best describe him as a player and he answered "Hard working, a team player and motivated."

It's very early in the recruiting process for Kimbro who has not received letters or calls from Duke at this time. But other schools like Louisville and Oklahoma State are already stating interest and if he continues to make strides with developing going to his right, he just might catch the eye of the Duke staff.

Sidebar- Kimbro said LeBron James was his favorite NBA player. According to Jody Demling of the Louisville Courier, Kimbro was the top player in the class of 2011 in the state of Kentucky.

Scouting Report by his head coach David Gaines - "There is something very special about Tony Kimbro. The first two weeks he was in school I wanted to overcoach the heck out of him. He's a lefty, he does not use his right hand to the extent that a player of that caliber should use his right hand. We talk about it a lot and how we are going to fix that. He's been able to play with one hand because he is physically so much better than everybody else. But what I think is so interesting about him is his instincts for the game. He sees things .... he's almost like a miniature version of Mason. He understands the game and sees plays happening before they happen but needs some work on his shot. He can stroke the three and defend and I think if he will let us coach him and we can harness that talent. I tell him look, you'll get a scholarship if you don't develop your right hand, but if you really want to be a player at the next level - a real player, you have to be able to use both hands effectively. He's 6-4, athletic and in the tenth grade but there is something really special about him. He has a nose for the ball and he loves the game. I don;t think work will be the issue but he's a little hard headed at times. I mean he started a very large Manuel High School in Louisville as a freshman and he comes to our team and is coming off the bench. He's accepted that and realizes he's better off being in the game at the end when it really matters than to worry about being in the starting lineup."

As has been mentioned, Kimbro is a tremendous player going left and being a southpaw often confuses his opponents. He is explosive to the rim and athletic and physical in that he welcomes contact. His handle is good but needs work, again with his right hand. He is an adept passer and a pretty good defender for his age. He's a kid worth keeping an eye on. [/private]

Duke Women's Basketball

#4 Duke Women defeat Maryland 68-65 on “Big Monday”

January 13, 2009 Mark Watson

Duke defeated a pesky Maryland team 68-65 in a a game that was televised nationally by ESPN. The network came in for "Big Monday" and the Blue Devils came out with a big win to go to 2-0 in the

Queen of the floor burn, Waner has 20 steals in her last four games

ACC and 14-1 overall.

The teams opened the game trading blows which is to be expected in this rivalry. There were 17 lead changes in the game and 15 of them were in the first twenty minutes of play. Once Duke took the lead 21-20 on a Joy Cheek lay up, they took control to take a 40-29 lead into half time.

There were two key factors in their first half success. One was Joy Cheek who had 11 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists. In fact, Cheek had 9 of Dukes first twelve points and ended the game with14 points and 11 rebounds after returning to the starting lineup.

The other factor was Waner and Thomas defensive effort on Kristi Tolliver who was held scoreless.

Thomas was four of four from the free throw stripe in the final eight seconds.

But Toliver and the Terps warmed up in the second half and at the 8:38 mark, took the lead 55-54 on a Wiley-Gatewood three point shot.

Just after that play Abby Waner came back with an assist to Chante Black to take the lead back. Waner later hit a layup which stretched the lead to 64-60, but Marisa Coleman cut it to two with a lay up of her own at the other end at the 1:00 mark.

The Duke defense played tough and Maryland couldn't find the mark as Toliver missed a long three in front of the Maryland bench with 13 ticks on the clock. The Terps then fouled Jasmine Thomas who went to the line and calmly dropped two in to give the Devils a 66-62 advantage.

One might have thought the game was sealed, but Tolliver drained a quick three to make it a 66-65

Duke got a good efforts from multiple players

Duke lead. Tolliver immediately committed a hard foul on Thomas with two second left, but the sophomore stepped to the line and knocked down both helping the Devils to a 68-65 win.

“That was just great man-to-man defense by our team. We wanted to make sure she was contested in a multiple fashion, if possible, because you can’t get the ball out of her hands, so you have to do something to direct the shot as much as possible,” said McCallie on the play of her defense in the final seconds.

Waner added, "I pulled Jas [Jasmine Thomas] aside and told her ‘Make this free throw because trust me it matters’. There are certain things that you learn from losses and I will never take a three-point lead with a few seconds to go for granted."

Thomas had one of her better games of the season scoring 15 points and despite being one of the

A seson high 7550 cheering fans were in Cameron

teams worst free throw shooters she went 6 of 7 from the charity stripe.

Chante Black was strong in the second half and ended the game with 13 points and a career high 14 rebounds.

Abby Waner grabbed 8 rebounds, 7 on the defensive end scored 13 points and dished out 4 assists and 3 steals, both team highs. Waner has now had a phenomenal 20 steals in her last four contests.

"The plays Abby made down the stretch were huge, fun to watch really, plus her eight rebounds were absolutely important to us," Said Coach McCallie during the post game press conference.

Duke got a lot of energy from Bridgette Mitchell off the bench. Mitchell had 6 points and 6 rebounds. Another key contributor was Krsytal Thomas who tallied 4 points and 4 rebounds in just seven minutes of play.

The Terps were led by Marrissa Coleman with 14 points, Lynetta Kizer who suffered with cramps 12

Tolliver hit a huge shot to pull Maryland within 1 with seconds left in the contest — Tolliverhit a huge shot to pull Maryland within 1 with seconds left in the contest

points, Toliver 12 points and Anjale Barrett with 10 points.

Duke handily out rebounded the Terps 56-39 and overcame 25.6% shooting from the field in the final half to win. Another huge plus in the win was the Devils going 12 of 14 from the free throw stripe.

Sidebar Comments -

How big is this win for Duke?

It's plenty big. Big win on a big Monday. This is the best start of McCallies career and she has her most talented team ever. Duke has adjusted to her coaching style which is aggressive physical play and good defense. Duke proved before a

national audience that they definitely deserve their #4 ranking.

Jasmine Thomas -

This game should go a long way with concerns to her confidence. The second year guard is becoming more consistent, but Coach P made a telling comment when she said, Jasmine played well in spots.

Senior leadership -

Chante Black showed up big when it counted and Abby was a true leader on both ends of the floor tonight.

Duke depth -

Coach P has done a good job at build her depth and there seems to be a lot of players able to step

up on a given night. This will be especially critical come tournament time.

The Box -

                          TOT-FG 3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
13 Demauria Liles...... f 3-10   0-0    0-0    5 5 10   4   6 2 2 0 1 35
25 Marissa Coleman..... f 6-14   2-3    0-0    3 2 5   0 14 3 2 0 3 31
12 Lynetta Kizer....... c 5-11   0-0    2-6    7 6 13   2 12 0 2 0 1 30
02 Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood g 3-10   3-5    0-0    0 1 1   0   9 0 1 0 1 26
20 Kristi Toliver...... g 5-16   2-9    0-0    1 3 4   3 12 6 4 2 3 38
10 Anjale Barrett......    4-6    2-3    0-0    0 4 4   1 10 4 0 0 0 25
14 Yemi Oyefuwa........    0-0    0-0    0-0    0 0 0   0   0 0 0 0 0   1
24 Drey Mingo..........    1-3    0-0    0-0    0 0 0   1   2 0 1 0 0 14
   TEAM................                            2 2
   Totals..............   27-70   9-20   2-6   16 23 39 11 65 15 12 2 9 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 13-37 35.1%   2nd Half: 14-33 42.4%   Game: 38.6% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-7 28.6%   2nd Half: 7-13 53.8%   Game: 45.0%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 1-3 33.3%   2nd Half: 1-3 33.3%   Game: 33.3%    1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME TEAM: #5/10 Duke 14-1 (2-0 ACC)
                          TOT-FG 3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
21 Joy Cheek........... f 5-16   1-5    3-4    7 4 11   3 14 2 1 1 1 27
31 Keturah Jackson..... f 0-4    0-0    0-0    1 5 6   2   0 1 1 0 2 17
11 Chante Black........ c 5-15   0-0    3-3    8 6 14   3 13 3 4 3 2 35
04 Abby Waner.......... g 4-11   2-5    0-0    1 7 8   1 10 4 3 0 3 37
05 Jasmine Thomas...... g 4-10   1-3    6-7    0 1 1   2 15 2 1 0 0 34
03 Shay Selby..........    0-0    0-0    0-0    0 0 0   0   0 0 0 0 0   2
13 Karima Christmas....    2-4    0-0    0-0    1 0 1   2   4 1 1 0 0 21
15 Bridgette Mitchell..    3-9    0-0    0-0    6 0 6   2   6 0 0 0 0   9
30 Carrem Gay..........    1-2    0-0    0-0    0 3 3   0   2 1 3 0 0 11
34 Krystal Thomas......    2-5    0-0    0-0    1 3 4   0   4 0 0 2 0   7
   TEAM................                         1 1 2
   Totals..............   26-76   4-13 12-14 26 30 56 15 68 14 14 6 8 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 16-37 43.2%   2nd Half: 10-39 25.6%   Game: 34.2% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 3-9 33.3%   2nd Half: 1-4 25.0%   Game: 30.8%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 5-5 100 %   2nd Half: 7-9 77.8%   Game: 85.7%    3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Officials: Eric Brewton, Dee Kantner, Edward Sidlasky
Technical fouls: #12/15 Maryland-None. #5/10 Duke-None.
Attendance: 7550
Score by Periods                1st 2nd   Total
#12/15 Maryland...............   29   36 -   65
#5/10 Duke....................   40   28 -   68

Points in the paint-MARYL 28,DUKE 36. Points off turnovers-MARYL 7,DUKE 11.
2nd chance points-MARYL 11,DUKE 15. Fast break points-MARYL 6,DUKE 4.
Bench points-MARYL 12,DUKE 16. Score tied-1 time. Lead changed-17 times.
Last FG-MARYL 2nd-00:04, DUKE 2nd-01:27.
Largest lead-MARYL by 3 1st-14:08, DUKE by 13 1st-00:44.

Duke Basketball

Henderson leads Duke past Florida State 66-58

January 11, 2009 Mark Watson

The second ranked Duke Blue Devils took out a pesky Florida State Seminole team 66-58 to remain undefeated in ACC play. The two teams felt each other out like prized fighters in the first half, each

Henderson has put up double figure points in seven straight games

counter punching and posturing for the big blow. In basketball terms that means every dribble, pass and shot was contested and getting an open look is tough when locked up in a clinch.

With the Blue Devils cold on the offensive end, they relied on their defense which held Florida State to 20.6% from the field in the first half. They went on to take a 19-14 lead to the locker room, thanks to Gerald Henderson who had nine of the Dukies first ten points.

"I was rolling. We were kid of stagnant and most of my points came of my defense. When I was able to get out in transition, thats when I was my best," said Henderson of his first nine points.

Coach Krzyzewski was pleased with his teams effort and elated to win which promted him to say, “Well we won a heck of a game today. Florida State was so ready to play us and it was a clean, unbelievably physical game. The action on the boards was phenomenal. I thought we got knocked back with their height, their length, and their tremendous pursuit of the ball. Our defense won the game for us. The last 16 minutes of the first half, we had a hard time scoring against them. Obviously, 19-14, people will say, “Well, it wasn’t a pretty game.” I’ll tell you what, it was a great game. It was a great basketball game. When you have kids competing that hard – it was just tough to get shots off. “

Duke came out to play in the second half warming up on the offensive end and shooting 59% from the field. The hot shooting allowed them to make a quick 9-0 run which put them up 28-15 which eventually became 27 point lead on a Singler three.

"The start of the second half, we executed a couple of things that got us momentum plays and we did a couple of things that got us turnovers. We got that lead, you almost get that lead too early, although I am happy we got it, don’t get me wrong," stated Krzyzewski.

The Gerald Henderson Show continued as well. His teammates call him "G," and on this day he was indeed the "G" man scoring a career high 25 points to go with 5 rebounds and 3 steals. Henderson has been the Blue Devils hottest player and he has now scored in double figures in seven straight contests.

“Henderson was the star for us today. I thought his physicality, his athletic ability to create some shots was huge," said Krzyzewski.

Without Henderson performance, the game could have been lost for the Noles staged a huge comeback cutting to pull withing eight. But they would get no closer for like a punch drunk boxer their legs were weary as was the Devils.

Krzyzewski commented, "This is our third game in six days and they were fresher than us, and obviously they didn’t give up.”

Kyle Singler chipped in with 15 points, Smith had 12 points and Scheyer added 9 points.

This was the 275th win this decade for the Blue Devils, which is the highest total of any team out there. This was the 1861st all time win which is the fourth highest total in college basketball.

The Devils will face yet another hostile environment on the road when they travel to Georgia Tech on Wednesday.

Duke Basketball, Duke Basketball Recruiting News

High School Hoops Edition #6

January 10, 2009 Bob Green

The holiday season is over and high schools across the nation are resuming their regular basketball

schedules. This edition of High School Hoops starts out in our nation's capital with Gonzaga High School and moves around the country with updates on Duke's future players and recruiting targets.

Tyler Thornton has demonstrated an ability to get to the free throw line in recent games. He has taken advantage of the opportunities by connecting on 35 of 43 attempts over his last four games. His 81.4% success rate during these four games is a 11.7% improvement over the 69.7% (23 of 33) he shot during the first nine games. As a point guard who handles the ball for major minutes, it is important for Thornton to punish opposing teams by capitalizing on scoring opportunities from the free throw line.

By comparison, marquee Duke point guards Tommy Amaker, Bobby Hurley, Steve Wojciekowski, and Quinn Snyder had career free throw percentages of 79.1%, 77.6%, 73.2%, and 70% respectively. Comparing a four game streak in high school to career performances at the collegiate level is quite a stretch but the objective is to point out that Thornton is demonstrating a skill set that could pay huge dividends at the next level.

Thornton scored 25, 20, 21, and 13 points in the four games with 44 percent of those points coming via free throws. He is averaging 16.3 points per game over the first 13 games. Gonzaga is currently 11 - 2 and riding a four game winning streak.

Moving on to Norfolk, Andre Dawkins has opened up 2009 with three solid scoring performances. On January 3, he dropped in 24 points as Atlantic Shores defeated Trinity Episcopal 93 - 43. In a 86 - 34 victory over Hampton Christian, on January 6, Dawkins scored 20 points. And on Friday night, January 9, he scored 21 points as Atlantic Shores knocked off Portsmouth Christian 86 - 51.

Out in Iowa, Harrison Barnes scored 18 points including 12 in the first quarter as Ames defeated West Des Moines Valley 89 - 31 on Tuesday evening. Barnes was 5 - 7 from the charity stripe and knocked down one three pointer in the game. Ames High School won their first seven games by an average of 30 points, on Friday night the Little Cyclones continued their dominating ways by defeating Marshalltown 69 - 40 and improving to 8 - 0. Barnes scored 22 points in the victory. Marshalltown defeated Ames in the state playoffs last year.

On to Seattle and Josh Smith who scored 16 points as Kentwood defeated Auburn 64 - 43 on Tuesday night. On Friday night, Kentwood defeated Kentlake 62 - 47. Smith exploded for 36 points in the game. Josh Smith is the leading scorer in the South Puget Sound League 4A at 24.6 points per game.

In Raleigh, Ryan Kelly scored 23 points on Wednesday evening as Ravenscroft defeated Word of God 68 - 59. John Wall had 17 points in a losing effort while future N.C. State player C.J. Leslie chipped in 20. In an overtime game, on Friday night, Forsyth Country day defeated Ravenscroft 53 - 51. Ryan Kelly scored a season low 11 points and missed a three point attempt with one second left. Ravenscroft is back in action against Cardinal Gibbons on Saturday at 8 pm.

Staying in North Carolina, Mason Plumlee had another big game recording a double-double of 21 points and 13 rebounds as Christ School defeated Cannon School 82 - 60. This road victory improves Christ School's record to 19 - 0.

This edition wraps up by checking in on Brandon Knight down in Florida. On Wednesday evening he scored 36 points as Pine Crest School defeated Benjamin 88 - 69. Knight recorded eight assists and made five three point shots in the game. Knight and Pine Crest will be back in action on Saturday evening at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Classic.

Duke Women's Basketball

Christmas leads Duke Women to a 73-58 win in their ACC opener

January 10, 2009 Mark Watson

[private]The Duke Blue Devil Women scratched out a 73-58 victory over Miami on Saturday before a season high 7310 fans in Cameron Indoor Stadium. It took a second half surge and a career high 21 points from Karima Christmas for the Devils to win their ACC opener and go to 13-1 on the season.

Duke jumped out to a 28-15 lead, but then went cold and Miami took advantage making a 13-0 run to tie the contest 28 a piece at the 2:32 mark of the first half. Former Duke player and Miami coach

Abby Waner (3 steals) and Karima Christmas (6 steals) hit the floor

Katie Meyer had her women fired up and while Duke regained the lead, a Latoya James jumper sent the teams in to the locker room where the heavily favored Blue Devils held a slim two point lead.

In the second half, Duke resorted to their trademark which is defense holding the Canes to 31.4% from from the floor. Of course dominating the boards to the tune of 48-27 helped their cause as well.

Pressure defense was vital to the Devils run and several steals allowed for big plays and brought the crowd alive. Miami hung in most of the game with their pressure as well, scoring 26 points off turnovers. The youthful Canes were led by Epihany Woodson with 16 points, but their leading scorer Shenise Johnson was held to just 3 points.

Chante Black was once again steady tallying 17 points and 12 rebounds. Joy Cheek chipped in with 12 points and Jasmine Thomas with 9 points.

But it was indeed Karina Christmas's night where she seemed very much in the flow of the game going 7 of 10 from the field to go with 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 6 steals. Christmas also had a career high in three point buckets with three and her six steals were also a personal best.

“I think I’m just eager to get into the game, to try and make something happen, try and feed off my teammates, and make them feed off of me. I’m just motivated when I get in the game," said Christmas after her performance.

Miami Coach Katie Meyer stated, "Karima Christmas blew our scout – we don’t have her scouted for some of the stuff she did tonight, and that makes Duke a very tough team if she’s going to shoot the ball like that. That was not a good Christmas present."

Christmas had a career night against Miami

Abby Waner was saddled with foul trouble and played only 18 minutes. She eventually fouled out going scoreless, but managed 4 rebounds and 5 assists and 3 steals when in the game. In fact, she is now second in the all time Duke record book for steals with 272, where she passed Iciss Tillis. Her first half defense also slowed down Miami's Woodson before she had to go to the bench.

Duke also continued to show off their depth in that the Devils bench outscored the Canes 41-12. It was the fifth time in the last six games that the bench scored 40 plus points which is quite an accomplishment.

The 13-1 start is also Joanne P. McCallies best start in her 17 years as a coach.

The Blue Devils take an 11 game winning streak into Monday evenings contest with Maryland. When asked if she was already think about Maryland, McCallie responded,

“We start thinking about them now. All the games matter, there are 14 conference games and every one of them is of equal value. I know that there are rivalries but as coaches we do the same thing for every one."

Maryland (1-0 ACC, 13-2) has become quite the rival after several key match ups in the past few years. Just over 7000 tickets have been sold for the game, but there are some good seats still available according to Duke SID Lindy Brown. The game will be televised ESPN 2 with the ball being tip off at 7:30 EST.[/private]